Method of Producing an Insulated Exhaust Gas Device

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for producing an exhaust gas aftertreatment or acoustic device ( 18 ) having a maximum operating temperature Tmax. The method includes the steps of providing a blanket ( 28 ) of silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO 2  of greater than 65%; heating the blanket ( 28 ) so that all of silica fiber insulation material is raised to a temperature T greater than Tmax; and installing the blanket ( 28 ) in the device ( 18 ) after the heating step.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to exhaust gas aftertreatment and/or acoustic systems and the devices used therein that utilize insulation blankets or batts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Heat insulating batts and blankets are utilized in exhaust gas systems in order to provide heat insulation for acoustic and aftertreatment devices of the system to control the heat exchange to and from the devices. It is known to place such heat insulating blankets between adjacent wall surfaces of such device with the material of the heat insulation blanket being compressed to provide a desired installed density for the material to help maintain the heat insulating blanket in its mounted position via frictional forces between the blanket and the adjacent wall surfaces. Cost is typically a concern in any commercial system and one cost efficient heat insulation blanket material is made from silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 65%. Unfortunately, when such a material was utilized in an exhaust gas aftertreatment device, the material failed after a period of time because the heat insulation blanket could not maintain adequate frictional engagement with the adjacent sidewalls in order to prevent destructive movement of the insulation blanket within the component.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one feature of the invention, a method is provided for producing an exhaust gas aftertreatment or acoustic device having a maximum operating temperature Tmax. The method includes the steps of: providing a blanket of silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 65%; heating the blanket so that all of silica fiber insulation material is raised to a temperature T greater than Tmax; and installing the blanket in the device after the heating step.

As one feature, T is at least 1.05×Tmax.

According to one feature, the installing step includes installing the blanket so that the blanket is compressed between two adjacent surfaces of the device to achieve an average installed density of 0.18 grams/cubic centimeter to 0.30 grams/cubic centimeter of the insulation material in the blanket.

In one feature, during the heating step the blanket is an uncompressed state.

As one feature, during the heating step the blanket is heated in a rolled state wherein the blanket has been formed into a roll having a central axis. In a further feature, during the heating step the blanket is rotated about the central axis.

According to one feature, during the heating step the blanket is planar.

In one feature, Tmax is within the range of 300° C. to 1100° C.

As one feature, the installing step includes installing the blanket so that the blanket encircles a core of the device through which the exhaust gas passes.

In one feature, the silica fiber insulation material has a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 95%.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, a method is provided for producing an exhaust gas aftertreatment or acoustic device having a maximum operating temperature Tmax. The method includes the steps of: providing a blanket of silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 65%; heating the blanket so that all of silica fiber insulation material is raised to a temperature T greater than Tmax; and installing the blanket in the device after the heating step so that the blanket encircles a core of the device through which the exhaust gas passes and the blanket is compressed between two adjacent surfaces of the device to achieve an average installed density of 0.18 grams/cubic centimeter to 0.30 grams/cubic centimeter of the insulation material in the blanket.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an exhaust gas system employing the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view of an exhaust system component employing the invention of FIG. 1 taken from line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational diagrammatic representation of a heat treatment process employed in the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view diagrammatic representation of an alternative heat treatment process employed in the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of yet another diagrammatic representation showing another alternate embodiment of a heat treatment process employed in the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An exhaust gas system 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in the form of a diesel exhaust gas aftertreatment system to treat the exhaust 12 from a diesel combustion process 14, such as a diesel compression engine 16. The exhaust 12 will typically contain oxides of nitrogen (NO_(x)) such as nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) among others, particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (CO), and other combustion by-products. The system 10 includes one or more exhaust gas acoustic and/or aftertreatment devices or components 18, with each device having a corresponding maximum operating temperature Tmax that can be achieved during operation of the system 10. Examples of such devices 18 include catalytic converters, diesel oxidation catalysts, diesel particulate filters, gas particulate filters, lean NO_(x) traps, selective catalytic reduction monoliths, burners, manifolds, connecting pipes, mufflers, resonators, tail pipes, emission control system enclosure boxes, insulation rings, insulated end cones, insulated end caps, insulated inlet pipes, and insulated outlet pipes, all of any cross-sectional geometry, many of which are known. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, some of the foregoing devices 18 are strictly metallic components with a central core 19 through which the exhaust 12 flows, and other of the devices 18 can include a core 19 in the form of a ceramic monolithic structure and/or a woven metal structure through which the exhaust 12 flows. These devices 18 are conventionally used in motor vehicles (diesel or gasoline), construction equipment, locomotive engine applications (diesel or gasoline), marine engine applications (diesel or gasoline), small internal combustion engines (diesel or gasoline), and stationary power generation (diesel or gasoline).

FIG. 2 shows one example of such a device 18 for use in the system 10 in the form of a catalytic unit 20 having a catalytic core 22, a mount mat 24, a cylindrical inner housing or can 26, and heat insulating blanket or batt 28, and a cylindrical outer housing or jacket 30. The core 22 will typically be a ceramic substrate 32 having a monolithic structure with a catalyst coated thereon and will typically have an oval or circular cross section. The mounting mat 24 is sandwiched between the core 22 and the can 26 to help protect the core 22 from shock and vibrational forces that can be transmitted from the can 26 to the core 22. Typically the mounting mat 24 is made of a heat resistant and shock absorbing-type material, such as a mat of glass fibers or rock wool and is compressed between the can and the carrier in order to generate a desired holding force.

The heat insulating blanket 28 is made of a silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 65%, and in preferred embodiments greater than 95%, and in highly preferred embodiments greater than 98%. Such material is known and commercially available, with one suitable example being supplied by BGF Industries, Inc. under the trade name SilcoSoft®, and another suitable example being supplied by ASGLAWO technofibre GmbH under the trade name Asglasil®. Such material is typically supplied in rolls, with the individual blankets 28 being die cut to the appropriate length and width for the corresponding device 18 after the material has been taken from the roll. Preferably, the blanket 28 is sandwiched or compressed in the annular gap 34 between the outer surface 36 of the can 26 and the inner surface 38 of the housing 30 to achieve an average installed density of 0.18 grams/cubic centimeter to 0.30 grams/cubic centimeter of the silica fiber insulation material of the blanket 28. This provides sufficient frictional engagement between the blanket 28 and the surfaces 36 and 38 to suitably maintain the blanket in its desired location. It should be appreciated that while the blanket 28 is shown being compressed in the annular gap 34 between the cylindrical can 26 and housing 30, the blanket 28 could be compressed between other adjacent surfaces of a device, including for example, a pair of planar adjacent surfaces, a pair of non-planar adjacent surfaces, a pair of conical adjacent surfaces, or any other pair of adjacent surfaces that can be found in acoustic or aftertreatment devices for exhaust systems.

According to the invention, before the blanket 28 is installed into the device 18, the blanket 28 is heat treated to achieve calcination of the silica fiber insulation material. In this regard, the blanket 28 is heated so that all of the silica fiber insulation material in the blanket 28 is raised to a temperature T greater than the maximum operating temperature Tmax of the device 18. This heat treatment improves the resiliency and erosion resistance of the silica fiber insulation material and also eliminates the potential for a “thermoset” failure mode that can result if the silica fiber material were calcinated in-situ in the device 18 during operation of the system 10. Preferably, this heat treatment takes place with the blanket 28 in an uncompressed or free state wherein there are no compressive forces being applied to the silica fiber insulation material of the blanket 28. The temperature T preferably has some margin of safety above the maximum operating temperature Tmax of the device 18, with one preferred margin of safety being 1.05×Tmax.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is also preferred that the heat treatment take place using an in-line oven 40 wherein the silica fiber heat insulation material is unrolled from a supply roll 42 of the material and passed flat through the oven 40 on conveyor 43 so that the blanket 28 is planar during the heat treatment to reduce or prevent differential heating of the material of the blanket 28 and variation in thickness of the material in the blanket 28. After heat treatment, the individual blankets 28 can be die cut to the desired length and width before installing in the device 18. As an alternative, the complete supply roll 42 of the silica fiber heat insulation material can be heat treated, with or without rotation of the roll 42 about its center axis 44 in an oven 46, as shown in FIG. 4. In this regard, it is believed that rotating the roll 42 about its axis 44 will serve to prevent a differential heating in the roll. Again, the individual blankets 28 can be die cut to the desired length and width after heat treatment and before installing in the device 18. As yet an another alternative, the silica fiber insulation material can be die cut before heat treatment, with the blanket 28 being slightly oversized in length and width to account for shrinkage during heat treatment. The die cut blankets 28 can then be heat treated in an oven 40 or 44 while laying flat on a planar surface, as shown in FIG. 5.

It has been found that by heat treating the silica fiber heat insulation material to the temperature T greater than Tmax before the blanket 28 is installed in the device 18, the heat treated blanket 28 can be installed in a device 18 so that the blanket 28 is compressed between two adjacent surfaces of the device 18 and can maintain suitable frictional engagement with the surfaces over the desired life of the device 18 because the silica fiber insulation material of the blanket 28 maintains its resiliency and does not take on a “thermoset” from the max operation temperature Tmax of the device 18.

It should be appreciated that while the invention has been described herein in connection with a diesel combustion process in the form of a diesel compression engine 16, the invention may find use in devices that are utilized in exhaust gas systems for other types of combustion processes, including other types of internal combustion engines, including, for example, internal combustion engines that use gasoline or other alternative fuels. 

1. A method of producing an exhaust gas aftertreatment or acoustic device having a maximum operating temperature Tmax, the method comprising the steps of: providing a blanket of silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 65%; heating the blanket so that all of silica fiber insulation material is raised to a temperature T greater than Tmax; and installing the blanket in the device after the heating step.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein T is at least 1.05×Tmax.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the installing step comprises installing the blanket so that the blanket is compressed between two adjacent surfaces of the device to achieve an average installed density of 0.18 grams/cubic centimeter to 0.30 grams/cubic centimeter of the insulation material in the blanket.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein during the heating step the blanket is an uncompressed state.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein during the heating step the blanket is heated in a rolled state wherein the blanket has been formed into a roll having a central axis.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein during the heating step the blanket is rotated about the central axis.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein during the heating step the blanket is planar.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein Tmax is within the range of 300° C. to 1100° C.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the installing step comprises installing the blanket so that the blanket encircles a core of the device through which the exhaust gas passes.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the silica fiber insulation material has a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 95%.
 11. A method of producing an exhaust gas aftertreatment or acoustic device having a maximum operating temperature Tmax, the method comprising the steps of: providing a blanket of silica fiber insulation material having a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 65%; heating the blanket so that all of silica fiber insulation material is raised to a temperature T greater than Tmax; and installing the blanket in the device after the heating step so that the blanket encircles a core of the device through which the exhaust gas passes and the blanket is compressed between two adjacent surfaces of the device to achieve an average installed density of 0.18 grams/cubic centimeter to 0.30 grams/cubic centimeter of the insulation material in the blanket.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein T is at least 1.05×Tmax.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein during the heating step the blanket is an uncompressed state.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein during the heating step the blanket is heated in a rolled state wherein the blanket has been formed into a roll having a central axis.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein during the heating step the blanket is rotated about the central axis.
 16. The method of claim 11 wherein during the heating step the blanket is planar.
 17. The method of claim 11 wherein Tmax is within the range of 300° C. to 1100° C.
 18. The method of claim 11 wherein the silica fiber insulation material has a weight percentage of SiO₂ of greater than 95%.
 19. The method of claim 11 wherein the two adjacent surfaces are cylindrical surfaces. 